Seahawks in Kirkland for one more camp

The Seattle Seahawks aren’t leaving Kirkland for Renton just yet. Team president Tim Ruskell said the Seahawks will hold training camp at Northwest University for one more year because of uncertainty over the timetable with the team’s new facility in Renton.

Ruskell told the Tacoma News Tribune the university required the team sign a year in advance, and the team was unsure if construction on the new facility would be completed in time for camp, which traditionally starts at the end of June

The team might still hold one practice a week in Renton, Ruskell said.

Earth Day events planned for Saturday

A number of eco-events are scheduled for Kirkland’s “Earth Day” this Saturday.

Volunteers of the Green Kirkland Partnership invite the public to join them and 60 goats from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the 110th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 98th Street park entrance in Kirkland’s Highlands neighborhood for an invasive-species cleanup.

Other city-sponsored Earth Day events include:

· A spring recycling collection event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Houghton Park and Ride, N.E. 70th Street and 116th Avenue N.E. For collection do’s and don’ts, visit www.ci.kirkland.wa.us (Search “Special Collection Event”).

· A recycling information station a the Lake Street and Central Avenue Starbucks from 12 to 3 p.m. Girl Scout Troop 3114 will provide information on recycling and waste reduction.

Winter recreation season closing

Due to warming temperatures, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Winter Recreation Program has begun to close Sno-Parks for the season.

Visitors are advised to check the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Web site at www.parks.wa.gov/winter, to make sure Sno-Parks are still open before buying a Sno-Park permit or venturing to the mountains.

More than two dozen Sno-Parks have closed. Other Sno-Parks may be transforming into spring and summer recreation sites, as well as trail heads for hikers and bikers.

Parking fees will change from the Sno-Park Permit to those normally imposed during the spring and summer season. For example, the U.S. Forest Service will require the Northwest Forest Pass at trail heads such as the Swauk Discovery Trail.

State Parks reminds boaters about law

Boating season is right around the corner, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is reminding boaters about the education card requirement in effect under state law.

Washington boaters are required by a law passed in 2005 to take and pass a boater education course and have their education card with them when operating a vessel of 15 horsepower or more in Washington waterways. Boaters ages 12 to 20 years are now required to carry the card when operating a boat.

The card requirement for other age groups will be phased in through 2014. Boaters born before Jan. 1, 1955, are exempt from this law.

Kirkland Neighborhood Taskforce Presents Slater Avenue Safety Improvements to Area Residents

Area residents invited to April 22 Open House; Encouraged to vote

Kirkland, WA – A Kirkland neighborhood taskforce is ready to present proposed safety improvements to Slater Avenue to residents who live along the corridor between NE 97th Street and NE 112th Place. An Open House is scheduled for April 22, 7 to 9 p.m., Kirkland Fire Station, 9930 124th Avenue NE. Attendees will learn about proposed median islands on Slater Avenue at NE 100th Street and NE 112th Place, a traffic circle at NE 105th Street, a raised crosswalk at NE 112th Place, and curb bulbs at three locations to improve the visibility between pedestrians and motorists. The proposed improvements were developed by taskforce members who live along Slater Avenue NE, the North Rose Hill Neighborhood Association, and City representatives from the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments. Resident comments will be accepted on the proposed strategies and modifications may be made by the taskforce. More than 500 area residents, who received notice of the Open House, will receive a mail-in ballot on the final strategies to return to the City in June.

“The taskforce has worked diligently on developing strategies to reduce traffic speed and improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists,” said taskforce spokesperson JonErik Johnson. “We hope to hear from other residents about this plan and their experiences on Slater Avenue.”

The Kirkland Neighborhood Traffic Control Program (NTCP) is based on a two-phase approach: Phase I includes community education, enforcement, and less restrictive traffic management measures, such as improved pavement markings and enhanced signage. Phase II often involves more complex physical construction measures such as speed cushions and traffic circles, and are only implemented with neighborhood concurrence. Throughout the process, the NTCP Coordinator carefully evaluates the effectiveness of all measures taken and helps prioritize service requests.

For more information about the Open House or the City’s NTCP, contact Noel Schoneman, NTCP Coordinator, at 425-587-3870 or nschoneman@ci.kirkland.wa.us.